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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (18-16) vs Iowa Cubs (23-11)

May 10, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (18-16) vs Iowa Cubs (23-11)

Friday, May 10 - 7:05 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #35 - Home Game #15 (7-7)

LHP Genesis Cabrera (1-2, 7.06) vs RHP Matt Swarmer (3-3, 4.22)

BY THE NUMBERS

1 Number of runs allowed by Hunter Cervenka in his last 9.1 innings pitched. His 2.77 ERA is the lowest among Memphis relievers with at least 10 appearances.

5 Home runs by Joe Hudson in 13 games this season. That figure ranks 2nd on the Redbirds.

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds look to finish their series against the American Northern division leading Iowa Cubs with a split tonight in the fourth a final contest of this four-game set. Rangel Ravelo homered for a second straight game, this time a two-run shot in the sixth. The Redbirds played their longest game of the season last night as well, as their late rally in the 11th inning fell just one run short. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Pete Pranica on the call.

ON THE HILL: Left-hander Genesis Cabrera is scheduled to take the mound tonight and make his seventh appearance and fifth start of the season. In his last time out, on Sunday at Nashville in the first game of the doubleheader between the two clubs, Cabrera tossed a season-high 5.0 innings and allowed two runs on four hits en route to earning his first career Triple-A victory. Both runs came via a solo home run and Cabrera has allowed seven home runs in his first four starts of the season. Tonight marks his first career start against the Chicago-NL Triple-A affiliate. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native is in his sixth professional season and second with the St. Louis organization. Cabrera entered this season ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Cardinals system by Baseball America. He spent the bulk of last season at Double-A Montgomery, going 7-6, 4.12 (52 ER/113.2 IP). He was named a Southern League All-Star and ranked 3rd in the league with a .218 batting average.

The Cubs are scheduled to start right-hander Matt Swarmer in tonight's series finale. The 25-year-old is slated to make his seventh start of the season and his fourth road start in . In his last time out on Sunday at Omaha, Swarmer earned his third win of the season (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) in the Cubs' 8-1 victory over the Storm Chasers. Swarmer has worked at least five innings in five of his six outings and has allowed at least three earned runs in four of six. He has two quality starts in his last three starts. The Kutztown University of Pennsylvania product has punched-out at least six batters in four consecutive starts. He is currently in his first stint at the Triple-A level. Swarmer split the 2018 season between Double-A Tennessee and Advanced-A Myrtle Beach, going 9-8, 3.50 (46 ER/138.2 IP). The Mohton, Penn., native is in his fourth professional season, spending all of them with the Chicago organization.

HISTORY WITH IOWA: Memphis has faced off against Iowa every year since 1998 and lead 168-137 in the all-time series. In those 21 seasons, the Redbirds have a winning record against the Sounds in 11 seasons and have a losing record in just one season (2015) since 2013. The Redbirds posted their best record against the Cubs last season, going 14-2 overall, 6-2 at AutoZone Park and a whopping 8-0 on the road at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa.

Memphis has winning records here in downtown Memphis in 17 seasons and has lost two home games each year to the Cubs since 2016. They have not had a losing record at home to the Cubs since 2012. Overall, they lead the series in the Bluff City with a 99-54 advantage.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds and Iowa Cubs (Cubs) locked in a wild game Thursday night at AutoZone Park, with the Cubs prevailing in 11 innings, 9-8.

The Redbirds (18-16) came back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game, matched the Cubs (23-11) in the 10th inning with a run, and then nearly erased a four-run 11th-inning hole before coming up shy.

Rangel Ravelo tied the game in the sixth with his second opposite-field home run in two games, a two-run shot. He also had a double and an RBI single in the contest.

Jake Woodford tossed 5.0 innings and gave up only three hits, but two of them were two-run home runs to account for Iowa's regulation scoring. Hunter Cervenka, Ryan Helsley, Ryan Meisinger, and Tommy Layne finished the final four innings before extras in scoreless fashion, giving up just two hits.

Iowa plated a run on a balk in the top of the 10th, before Memphis answered back on a Drew Robinson sacrifice fly that sent the game to another extra frame.

The Cubs then scored four times in the top of the 11th, but the Redbirds did not go down quietly.

Ravelo knocked in a run with one out in the bottom of the 11th, and Joe Hudson then launched a pinch-hit two-run homer, his fifth of the year, to make it 9-8. But the final two Redbirds went down to wrap up the game.

Kramer Robertson made his Triple-A debut with a pinch-hit walk in the fifth inning. Andrew Knizner was 1-for-4 with a walk and a run scored and has hits in 19-of-24 games this season.

Iowa has won nine of its last 10 games.

SHEW SHINES: In his first two career Triple-A starts, Anthony Shew has not allowed a run in 11.2 innings and has allowed just four hits in 39 at-bats (.103). In Wednesday's series opener, Shew delivered his first quality start at the Triple-A level, tossing 6.0 scoreless frames and allowing a season-low one hit while fanning a season-high eight. The Bookings, Ore., native has not allowed a run in 17.2 innings across all levels and has allowed one earned run or fewer in all seven of his outings in 2019 overall.

O'NEILL RETURNS: In his first Triple-A appearance of the season on Sunday, Tyler O'Neill launched two, two-run home runs in the first game of the doubleheader. It was his first multi-HR game of the year and was the second Redbird to homer twice in a game this season. O'Neill blasted another two-run shot in Monday's contest and ranks T-3rd on the team with three home runs in four games. In Wednesday's series opener against Iowa, O'Neill collected his first three-hit game of the season. The 23-year-old led the Redbirds in 2018 with 26 HR and six multi-HR games.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: In their series opener against Nashville on May 2, the Memphis Redbirds set numerous season-highs, and matched a couple of franchise records in their 17-2 rout of the Sounds. The 24 hits matched a franchise record and was also the most hits in a Pacific Coast League game this season. Their 10 hits in the second inning matched a franchise record for most in a single frame. The 'Birds set season-highs in, runs, hits and total bases and matched a season-high with eight extra-base hits.

APRIL RECAP: The Redbirds finished April with a 13-12 record, going 6-5 at AutoZone Park and 7-7 on the road. Since 2017, the Redbirds have posted a losing record in a month just once, August 2018, going 13-16 overall, 8-10 at home and 5-6 away. That is also the only time during that span that the 'Birds had losing records at home or away.

The 28 home runs slugged by the Redbirds ranks T-3rd for home runs in April, matching the 2014 team in that category. They fell just one home run shy of matching the 2017 Redbirds for 2nd most home runs in April. The franchise record is 34, held by the 2000 club.

MR. APRIL: On April 22, LHP Austin Gomber was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for April 15-21 following his complete-game shutout on April 20 in the second game of the doubleheader against Round Rock. Gomber allowed just three hits in his outing and faced the minimum over the final five innings. In his first seven starts of the season, Gomber is 4-0, 2.82 (12 ER/38.1 IP) to go along with 44 strikeouts.

In April 2018, Gomber also won PCL Pitcher of the Week for April 23-29 and was also named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month as well. In his last two Aprils, Gomber is 5-0, 2.50 (15 ER/54.0 IP) in nine starts and has held opponents to a .214 batting average (41x192).

CLUTCH HITTING: Edmundo Sosa delivered the Redbirds first walk-off victory of the season on April 21 vs. Round Rock with his two-run shot in the 10th. With runners in scoring position, Sosa is 15-for-31 (.484) with three doubles, a home run and 17 RBI. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Sosa leads the team with a .643 average (9x14) and nine RBI.

Sosa has the second-highest batting average in the Pacific Coast League with runners in scoring position (min. 30 AB).

On May 2 against Nashville, Sosa set a career-high with five RBI, four of which came with two outs.

EXTRA! EXTRA!: The Redbirds have recorded at least one extra-base hit in every game this season, collecting 63 doubles, nine triples and 42 home runs. Adolis Garcia holds the team lead with 15 extra-base hits with for four doubles, two triples and nine home runs.

After Garcia's home run Thursday, the Redbirds 27-game run of having at least one extra-base hit surpassed the 2018 Redbirds mark of 26 consecutive games with at least one extra-base hit.

TRIPLE THREAT: Through his first 23 starts of the season, Tommy Edman has nine multi-hit games, including five, three-hit performances, April 12 at San Antonio, April 13 at Round Rock, April 17 vs. San Antonio, April 26 at Omaha and last night at Nashville. His team-high 10-game hitting streak came to end on April 21, but he has reached safely in 20 of 25 contests. His 33 hits and nine doubles are most among the current Redbirds roster.

In Sosa's first 24 starts, he has matched Edman's multi-hit game total (9) and has three-hit performances on April 15 at Round Rock, April 17 vs. San Antonio and Friday at Nashville. Sosa ranks 3rd on the team with a .317 batting average and 2nd with 18 RBI.

Not to be out-done, Andrew Knizner also has nine multi-hit games. Knizner had his season-high eight-game hitting streak come to an end April 30, but has hits in 19 of 24 games. He ranks 2nd on the team with a .322 batting average.

The trio has combined for 94 hits, which accounts for 30.7 percent of all the Redbirds hits this season, 45 runs (22.7 percent), 31 extra-base hits and 46 RBI.

WALKING IN MEMPHIS: After matching a season-high nine walks in the second game of their doubleheader on April 20, the Memphis Redbirds rank 8th in the Pacific Coast League with 133 walks through 34 games. The Redbirds' .355 on-base percentage also ranks 7th in the PCL. John Nogowski holds the team lead by drawing 24 free passes, which also ranks T-3rd in the PCL.

WALK IT OFF: The Redbirds walk-off defeat to the Missions on April 9 was the first time since Aug. 5, 2017 that the Redbirds had lost in such fashion. The following night, it marked the first time since June 23-24, 2014 that the Redbirds had lost consecutive games in the last at-bat of the game. The three walk-off defeats this season have already surpassed last year's total.

CAUGHT IN A STORM: The Redbirds' 11-run defeat on April 8 marked the first time that Redbirds lost by 11 runs or more since June 16, 2018, when the Redbirds fell 13-1 at El Paso. Additionally, Omaha's 12-run second was the first time since May 12, 2016 against the Storm Chasers, that the Redbirds had given up more than 10 runs in an inning.

Elier Hernandez and Nick Dini became the first two opponents to hit back-to-back home runs against the Redbirds since May 8, 2017 and Hernandez became the first player to post a 6 RBI against Memphis since June 9, 2018.

FIRST NO MORE: Following Memphis' defeat on April 6, the Redbirds fell out of first place for the first time since April 28, 2017. It also marked the first time since April 27, 2017 that their record fell below the .500 mark. The Redbirds played the final 120 games of the 2017 season in first place, and played all 140 games of 2018 in first place. They had been in first place for the 708 calendar days, playing 262 regular-season games and 20 playoff games in that span.

The Redbirds entered April 7 in T-3rd place in the division, which marked the first time since April 12, 2016, that they had fallen out of the top two spots in the standings.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 10, 2019


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